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If you educate well on recycling, you sell well.
Thomas Reiner | 23.08.2021
The beverage can shows the way: Good communication through symbols regarding the sustainability and recyclability of packaging is not only a real trump card in enforcing circular economy. It is also a key factor for sales. This is proven by a recent study from the UK.
“Metal recycles forever.” Anyone who can put the sustainability and recyclability of their packaging into such a concise and easy-to-understand formula, and combine the statement with a catchy symbol, is preaching to the consumer.
This is shown by a recent survey among consumers in the UK, conducted by IPSOS on behalf of Metal Packaging Europe (MPE). There, over 75 percent state that they prefer the beverage can to other packaging formats as soon as they become aware of the advertised sustainability benefits.
Good communication on the sustainability of packaging is once again proving to be a real sales driver. This is because consumers are looking for decision-making aids when shopping. They want to be informed and want to understand. Those who fulfill this desire in a clear and catchy way are richly rewarded.
Study results in detail
- Over 75 percent of consumers prefer beverage cans to other forms of packaging once they become aware of the sustainability benefits.
- Over 90 percent trust that packaging with the “METAL recycles forever” (MRF) logo is actually recycled.
- 80 percent said they believe beverage cans are easy to recycle
- 60 percent believed that metal beverage cans can be recycled over and over again.
The MRF logo
The study results show that the MRF logo works. It conveys a clear message and is well understood.
- Introduced in 2014, the MRF logo is one of the youngest recycling symbols found on everyday packaging.
- The logo was developed with a dual focus. On the one hand, it was intended to inform consumers about the infinite recyclability of hard metal packaging. But beyond that, it was also meant to make them aware of the key role they have in recycling through proper disposal.
Good communication is crucial
The latest Ipsos study follows a survey conducted by SaveOnEnergy.com last year. The survey had shown that more than half of Britons do not understand the common recycling symbols on everyday items.
The current study shows once again how fatal this can be. Because consumers want to understand. They want to make conscious decisions and need help in making them. Also and especially in the area of sustainability, circular economy and recycling. The MRF logo provides this decision-making aid and also builds trust.
The fact that good communication pays off is not only evident in the survey results, but also at the POS. According to Can Makers chairman Simon Gresty, demand for the beverage can in the UK has risen to record levels over the past year.
